(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and in particular to a structure for storing a stylus pen for an operation panel.
(2) Description of Related Art
In recent years, image forming apparatuses, such as printers, commonly have a touchscreen operation panel that allows for a variety of commands and settings to be made by directly contacting the display screen.
Such image formation apparatuses may come with a stylus pen so that the user can accurately touch a desired display item on a display screen of an operation panel when the display screen is crowded with a number of display items.
Such a stylus pen is normally stored within or near the operation panel. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-175780 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Literature 1) discloses an image forming apparatus in which a clamping member is provided at the top of the operation panel and the stylus pen is removably stored within the clamping member.
In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-33592 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Literature 2), a concavity is provided at the top of the housing in the image forming apparatus, and the stylus pen is placed in the concavity.
In a structure in which the stylus pen is clamped by a clamping member, as in the image forming apparatus in Patent Literature 1, some amount of force is necessary to remove the stylus pen from the clamping member. This structure can therefore not be considered convenient for users who wish to use the stylus pen immediately. The same is true when returning the stylus pen to the clamping member.
Furthermore, in Patent Literature 1, the stylus pen is entirely exposed while stored, thus complicating the area around the operation panel and making the image forming apparatus aesthetically unpleasing.
Meanwhile, in Patent Literature 2, the stylus pen is simply placed in a concavity, and therefore the stylus pen may fall out of place if, for example, the image forming apparatus vibrates intensely. This leads to the problem of the stylus pen being easily lost. As is the case with Patent Literature 1, the entire stylus pen is also exposed, which detracts from the appearance of the image forming apparatus.